The Best Costumes of 1986
Wednesday, September 1, 2021 at 9:33AM 
At last, we must say goodbye to the 1986 cinematic year. The Supporting Actress Smackdown was a blast and, before moving on to 1937, there's one remaining matter to take care of – the Best Costume Design Oscar race. Just like Dianne Wiest won the first of her two Academy Awards at that ceremony, so did Jenny Beavan. The British designer dressed the likely runner-up for Supporting Actress, Maggie Smith in A Room with a View, delivering a dream of Edwardian fashions with the help of fellow costumier John Bright. Indeed, all of the nominees that year were period pieces, ranging from 1500s Venetian tragedies to a time-traveling misadventure through 1960's suburbia. The contenders were:
- Anna Anni & Maurizio Millenotti, Otello
- Jenny Beavan & John Bright, A Room with a View
- Anthony Powell, Pirates
- Theadora Van Runkle, Peggy Sue Got Married
- Enrico Sabbatini, The Mission
First, let's examine the winner, our favorite and much-dissected Merchant-Ivory classic. I promise this is the last time I write about A Room with a View…
